The United States government paid for a study to analyze a Defense Department study that evaluated a series of other studies. This is true. How much taxpayer money did the government spend in conducting a study that evaluated a study that evaluated a series of other studies? The government does not know.

In May 2012, ABC News first reported details on this ridiculous case of government waste and inefficiency:

The Pentagon was inundated with so many studies in 2010 that it commissioned a study to determine how much it cost to produce all those studies.

Now the Government Accountability Office has reviewed the Pentagon’s study and concluded in a report this week that it’s a flop.

The study of a study of studies began in 2010 when Defense Secretary Robert Gates complained that his department was “awash in taskings for reports and studies.” He wanted to know how much they cost.

Two years later, the Pentagon review is still continuing, which prompted Congress to ask the GAO to look over the Pentagon’s shoulder. What they found lacked military precision…

The cost of the study of the study of the studies was not available from the GAO.

What does one do with a report like this? Probably you snort derisively and think unpleasant words about the federal government. But there are constantly things like this, and nobody does anything, nobody gets on the phone to call their congressman, we just let it drift because it is so — usual. How about keeping a little file of stuff the government does that offends you, and taking it with you when your Congressman holds a Town Hall meeting? Those files grow fat pretty quickly if you are paying attention, and how else are they to know that we are offended by the proliferation of waste and fraud.